1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to an Outdoor Unit (ODU) of a satellite broadcast system. More specifically, the invention relates to a conditional access system for the ODU.
2. Related Art
A satellite broadcaster broadcasts an event, such as a sporting contest, a musical concert, a speech, a movie, a television sitcom, or a television reality show to provide some examples, to one or more end users for viewing using a satellite communications system. The satellite communications system typically includes one or more earth stations to provide video, audio, and/or data depicting the event as well as video, audio, and/or data depicting other events and/or services, such as satellite internet access to provide an example. The earth stations provide the video, audio, and/or data to one or more satellites for transmission to the one or more end users. The one or more end users typically receive transmission from the satellite using one or more satellite receiving antennas, commonly referred to as a satellite dish. The transmission received by the one or more satellite receiving antennas is converted by an outdoor unit (ODU) for transmission to one or more indoor units (IDUs). The one or more indoor units (IDUs) decode the transmission from the ODU for delivery to the one or more end users.
The satellite broadcaster typically employs a conventional conditional access system to restrict the delivery of the video, the audio, and/or the data to unauthorized end users. Conventionally, these conventional conditional access systems are placed within the IDUs. However, if these conventional conditional access systems are compromised by the unauthorized end users, the satellite broadcaster is unable to restrict the delivery of the video, the audio, and/or the data. For example, the unauthorized end users may procure an unauthorized, yet functional, commonly referred to “pirated”, IDU to circumvent the conventional conditional access systems. In this situation the satellite broadcaster is unable to restrict the delivery of the video, the audio, and/or the data to the unauthorized end users.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and/or a method to restrict the delivery of the video, the audio, and/or the data to the unauthorized end users that overcomes the shortcomings described above. Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description that follows.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the reference number.